Falls Like Lightning

Shawn Grady is on my list of authors to watch. If you've read his work, you understand why.

Let’s begin with the summary:

When hotshot smoke jumper Silas Kent gets his own fire crew, he thinks he's achieved what he's always wanted. But a lightning-sparked fire in the Desolation Wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas has his team in a plane before they can even train together.

Pilot Elle Westmore has been called up to drop the crew into the heart of the forest infernos. A single mother of a mysteriously ill six-year-old, she can't imagine her life getting any more complicated.

It doesn't take long for things to go very wrong, very quickly. A suspicious engine explosion forces Elle to make an emergency landing. Silas is able to parachute to safety but soon discovers his crew can't be trusted. They're hiding something, and now Silas is on a race to save himself and Elle from the flames--and from a more dangerous threat: his own team.

And now, my review:

I like Grady’s voice. His ability to keep the pace going. His obvious knowledge of his subject matter. He’s so knowledgeable (both in deep POV and smokejumping) I was lost a couple times. But that didn’t bog the reading down for long. We spent a tad more time setting things up on this novel, but I liked the pace there too, the relational focus.

Suspense readers will enjoy this book. I break from my usual preferred genres whenever this author comes out with a new work. And from about 2/3rds in, I had to read to the finish, even though it was pushing 1:00 a.m. Really love a reading night like that.

With this subject, you’d expect men to enjoy this read. But there’s something here for everyone. Moms will relate with Elle as she wants to help her daughter through her illness. She’s heroic in her own right. There are mysteries to solve, including that of how Elle’s father died. Not to mention, who’s taking advantage of the fires. Oh, and there’s money involved. Big surprise. Overall, an enjoyable read. I’ll be watching for more from this author.